Semiconductor device design and manufacture processes are separated by the delivery of photomasks, and the automation in both have been advanced, individually. The reason for this is that the automated systems for semiconductor device design and for semiconductor device manufacture have been specialized, and the former and the latter have been generally dealt with by different vendors. Hence, information modes often differ from each other. Even vendors who deal with both may be unfamiliar with both automations. This may cause difficulties in utilizing shared information.
Recently in semiconductor device manufacture section, there has been almost attained paperless process management tables in clean rooms. On the other hand, the integration of electronic data for information interchange between semiconductor device manufacture and design sections is slow.
A description will be given of a method of information interchange among the respective sections in conventional semiconductor device development. FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) illustrate a mode of information interchange among design, manufacture and evaluation sections in conventional semiconductor device development. In FIG. 16(a), there are shown a database 1b that stores information created at the design section, a database 2b that stores information created at the manufacture section, and a database 3b that stores information created at the evaluation section.
Referring to FIG. 16(b), an engineering workstation (EWS) 10 in the design section has a graphic terminal 10a, a memory 10b and a submemory 10c. A server 400 in the design section has a memory 400a and a submemory 400b. An EWS 20 in the manufacture section has a graphic terminal 20a, a memory 20b and a submemory 20c. A server 500 in the manufacture section has a memory 500a and a submemory 500b.
Normally the semiconductor device development section has such a development support system as described. The development of semiconductor devices is carried out utilizing the development support system in the following manner.
The design information created at the design section is stored in the database 1b implemented on the server 400. In the design section, as required, information requisite for semiconductor device design, such as alignment creations, photomask type, i.e., normal or reverse, capacitance values, resistance values and current values, is created, set and retrieved by watching a list, e.g., papers and terminal screens, which list is retrievable from the EWS 10.
Manufacture information created at the manufacture section is stored in the database 2b implemented on the server 500. In the manufacture section, as required, information requisite for the semiconductor device manufacture, such as systems to be used, mask names, coordinates to be set on the systems, processing time and lot names, is created, set and retrieved by watching a list, e.g., papers and terminal screens, which list is obtainable from retrievals using the EWS 20.
Manufacture information created at the evaluation section is stored in the database 3b implemented on a server (not shown). In the evaluation section, as required, information requisite for the semiconductor device evaluation, such as chip names, pads, coordinate values of test element groups (TEGs), measurements of monitor TEGs during manufacture and design specifications, is created, set and retrieved by watching a list, e.g., papers and terminal screens, which list is retrievable from an EWS (not shown).
It should be noted that the databases 1b, 2b and 3bhave no data link with one another. Therefore, in a case where the design section requires information possessed by the manufacture and evaluation sections, such information is printed out and then input by manual operation, thereby performing information interchange. Alternatively, the information interchange by electronic data necessitates volumes, e.g., floppy disks, as a media.
FIG. 17 shows a development process in a conventional semiconductor device development section. In step S1a, information needed in design, such as resistances, capacitances, FETs, substrates, is acquired through papers or electronic data existing separately, thereby obtaining manufacture information. In step S2, electric design is executed using the manufacture information obtained in step S1a. In step S3, mask data design is executed. In step S4, the mask making is executed. In step S5a, the design information on chip sizes, mask names, mask arriving dates, specific data areas and target performances, is acquired from papers or a separate electronic data. In step S6, the mask manufacture is executed using the design information obtained in step S5a.
The information interchange in the semiconductor device design section of the prior art system is performed in the aforementioned manner. More specifically, in the design process of the semiconductor device development, the electric design is executed by simulators, whereas the setting of conditions for the simulators requires information from the manufacture and evaluation sections. Such information is, however, not integrated with the information of the design section. Hence, fragmental information on each semiconductor device type must be described on papers or converted into volumes or the like, followed by the respective manual setting.
As discussed above, although most of the information possessed by the design section of the semiconductor device development is electronic data, the problem attendant to interfaces persists. Thus it is necessary that the information which has been converted into papers or volumes be delivered to the manufacture section to set the data by manual operation, i.e., manual input work.
Consequently, a mere interface of the information calls for the manual work, causing a hindrance to cost reduction in semiconductor device manufacture.